Pals
by Illustriousgiraffe
Summary: Rocket and Groot are a pair of inseparable friends, but how did they come to be that way? These are possible ways that a sentient tree and a psychotic raccoon met and became the best of friends. No pairings. Strictly movie-based.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi! This is my first gotg fic but I loved Groot and Rocket's relationship so much that I had to try and capture it in words. I haven't read the comics and this is just something I came up with as to how Groot and Rocket could have met! Don't blame me for weird made-up space tech!**

**I don't own a talking raccoon or a sentient tree (unfortunately) or their universe, just the story belongs to me. I made the cover art so that belongs to me. **

**Enjoy!**

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Rocket had never really been one for making friends. Most people took one look at him and either sneered or walked away (either of which could get them a blaster-shot to the face if the feisty raccoon was in a bad mood). He also wasn't big on protecting others, he had enough problems protecting himself, and figured everyone else should have to deal with their own safety and those who couldn't deserved to get beat on. Life was tough, you had to be tougher.

For some reason though Rocket was currently going against his own nature and not even stopping to think how un-him this all was. He had been walking around, carrying a stun gun and looking for a target when he had heard a commotion up ahead. Naturally, being the adrenaline-junkie that he was, he raced forward to see what was going on, only to find three or four red-skinned thugs beating on a tree, a sapling by the looks of it, and yelling curses in some odd guttural language that Rocket didn't recognize.

Rocket looked at the attackers in confusion, who assaulted a tree? It was a tree, what could it have possibly done to them? Rocket was about to walk away muttering about how stupid the galaxy could be when he saw the tree curl in on itself and twist tighter, and upon closer inspection it almost looked as though eyes were peeking out from the folds of bark.

The miniature bounty hunter sidled up to one of the men who was attacking the tree-creature, his curiosity getting the better of him; besides, maybe there was some way he could get some credits out of all this. "Hey Red, why are you and your buddies attacking this here twig? What'd it do, steal your wallet?"

The thug grunted and looked down at the strange animal that had somehow ended up near his feet. "Yes, actually," he snarled.

"Oh yeah okay, that makes perfect sense," Rocket mumbled to himself, "and by that I mean it makes no sense at all!" he continued, raising his voice loud enough for the attacker to hear (and possibly want to cover his hole-shaped ears).

"This _thing_," The man spit, "is a little thief and it is going to get what it deserves." He said, pulling a mean looking axe from his back.

Rocket grimaced, looking over to the tree. "It's rooted in the ground! How could it have stolen from you?"

The man rolled his eyes, "It can _walk_, rodent."

"Yeah walking trees, perfectly normal." Rocket muttered, trying to ignore the urge to blast the guy's head off for calling him a rodent.

The men started beating harder on the tree and Rocket felt a few wood splinters hit his furry face, but what really made him flinch was the whimpering noise he could hear. He groaned, his suspicions being confirmed when he heard another whimper sound through the air—it was coming from that damned tree!

Rocket was about to try and do something, although he had no idea _why_ he would want to help out this possibly-not-even-alive thing that he had never met, when the thug he had been talking to swung his axe hard at the base of the greenish-brown roots of the creature. With two more strikes the 4-foot tree fell with a sickening thud on to the dirty pavement, far too sickening for a simple, non-sentient tree in Rocket's opinion. He even thought he had heard a yelp.

Before he could even stop himself, before he even had a chance to _think_, Rocket had sprung into the middle of the group of men, snatched the unwieldy (very, very _heavy_) overgrown twig and ran as fast as his paws would carry him.

"What the Hell are you doing Rocket?" The raccoon asked himself out loud, glancing back at the four men chasing after him, all of whom looked very angry and unfortunately appeared to have a small arsenal of weapons. As he ran he tried to convince himself that he was doing this for the possible credits in the wallet the tree had stolen, but he knew that wasn't the reason. He wished he was two raccoons so he could kill one of them for being so idiotic.

"I am _sooooo_ dead." He said, skidding around a corner, his claws scratching the cement and leaving marks.

"I am Groot!"

"ARRRHHHHHGG" Rocket screeched, dropping the tree and staring at it. That had been quite a shock. "What the F-"

"GET BACK HERE, RAT!" said the leading thug who had just skidded around the same corner with his axe raised above his head. Rocket prayed to all the gods he could think of that their pursuers didn't have any long-range weapons.

The raccoon recovered from his shock, picked up the tree, which appeared to have grown a smile, and bolted, his tail twitching out of the way of a throwing knife as he fled.

He ran past all sorts of creatures, most of which looked at him in confusion, he couldn't blame them though, he was just as confused as they were. "I can't believe I'm risking my tail for a 4 foot house plant!" He grumbled, turning another corner and cutting through an alley.

"I am GROOT," The small yet powerful voice informed him grumpily.

"Okay, 'Groot', I'm Rocket." Rocket told him, looking back before climbing some boxes and jumping a fence all whilst trying to keep 'Groot' from falling.

"I _am_ Groot," the creature said, smiling.

"Yeah that's _great_, I got it." Rocket ground out. Hopefully this tree had some semblance of intelligence.

As the fighting-raccoon approached yet another alleyway, he turned sharply and, looking behind them one more time (luckily they had gotten fairly far ahead of the creepy red dudes), he jumped down a hidden hole in the ground and was swallowed by darkness.

"I am Groot."

Rocket's left ear twitched, he didn't need light to see who had said _that_, he was fairly certain it was Groot.

"Stupendous." He said, setting Groot down for the first time since he had dropped him. Boy, were his arms sore.

The darkness was eradicated with a bright blue flash as Rocket activated a light sphere and attached it to his belt. He picked his cargo up and walked through the forgotten transport tunnel. A detour line had made the underground transportation of this planet bypass this tunnel years ago, and it had been left alone ever since. Rocket had been lucky enough to find it in his scavenging journeys and was currently living in one of its roomy hover train cars.

Rocket walked into the car and turned on the installed lights. He had fixed the car up a bit, being the technological genius that he was, getting the lights working again hadn't been all that hard.

Rocket set Groot down outside his door, hoping he could walk away by himself. "You can leave now, I saved you and all. No need to thank me unless you've got some real compensation." He said, walking into his home and turning his back on the tree thing.

Rocket sat down, back still to the door, and began to fiddle with one of his broken blasters. He would have been content to stay that way until the weapon was fixed if he hadn't looked back and got the shock of his life to find Groot standing near his makeshift couch and smiling dumbly. Damn that tree could move quietly! He hadn't even been sure it could move on its own!

Rocket sighed and pushed himself from the crate he was sitting on. He sauntered over to the tree, figuring he could get something out of Groot's refusal to leave. "Alright, pinecone, why were those guys after you? What'd you nab?"

Groot untwisted a bit and pulled a black cube from within the maze of his many tendrils and held it up to the raccoon that had saved him.

"Hmm, a credit cube. Nice." Rocket nodded in approval and attempted to open it, but he unfortunately did not have the pass code. Though when had that ever stopped him?

Groot watched as Rocket struggled with the small black box, and after a few moments his spindly wooden fingers wrested it from the paws of the raccoon and clicked the correct safety locks in their coded order, earning a look of disbelief from his onlooker.

"I am Groot" Groot said, as he carefully opened the cube and held it out to Rocket.

Rocket surveyed its contents, nodding in approval as he counted the credits.

"You really know how to pick the right wallet Groot, this is a lot of credits."

"I am Groot."

"Yeah you're right, you don't know how to pick a person right! Those guys were _huge_! What were you thinking ya idiot! I mea-" Rocket stopped abruptly and turned his head towards the tree.

The raccoon's brown eyes met the larger brown orbs embedded in the wood of Groot's face. He raised a furry eyebrow.

"I am _Groot_?"

"Yeah, and you can understand me?" Rocket asked, feeling a little bit spooked.

The small tree creature nodded its head once.

"Freaky."

There was a prolonged pause and the two beings took in the new information.

Rocket recovered from the temporary shock and looked back at the cube. "700 credits, not too shabby." Rocket said, picking up a 10-credit piece and twisting it in his fingers. "What could a tree do with credits?"

"I am Groot." Groot rumbled.

Rocket let the sentence sink in before he felt it snap into his own language automatically. It was a very bizarre feeling but he supposed he could get used to it. "You wanna get off world huh?"

"I am Groot."

"It doesn't rain enough?" Rocket asked, confused.

Groot nodded, "I am Groot."

"I guess is does get kinda cold with such a far off sun. That shouldn't bother a tough little thing like you though."

"I am Groot!"

"Have you seen a normal tree buddy? You are pretty tiny."

Groot got a sheepish look on his face.

Rocket looked at his new . . . companion. Perhaps he was missing something. Then it dawned on him. "You're just a kid aren'tcha?"

Groot nodded, not meeting the raccoon's eyes.

Rocket tried his very best not to feel bad for this creature he had just met. He himself hadn't been all that old when he escaped the labs where he had been created, he could understand Groot's position very well. A young life on the streets wasn't much of a life but if it got you to adulthood that was all that mattered.

But what was he thinking? Pity wasn't his thing. He was Rocket, crazy genius and ruthless bounty hunter! Not some baby sitter for lost alien children!

"So you're stealin' to get whatcha want?"

Groot looked embarrassed, as though he thought he would receive a scolding. He nodded all the same. Poor kid.

"I like you." Rocket said. "There ain't no shame in stealing, kid. It's a very honorable professionality." He added, picking something out from between his teeth with one of his claws.

Groot gave Rocket a suspicious look.

"Ah, alright. Some people may not think it's very honorable. But they're the ones we steal from!" Rocket informed Groot, letting out a harsh laugh.

Groot's bark groaned as his lips pulled into a smile.

Rocket was internally debating what he should do with tree-kid when he felt something wrap around his ankle gently. His instincts told him to lash out, but when he saw that it was only one of Groot's Vines he relaxed. How much harm could a harmless plant cause? He probably wasn't even very strong.

Groot then proved Rocket completely wrong by lifting him in the air by the ankle and bringing him closer to his wooden face. How could a child be so powerful?

"I am Groot?" He asked, his voice curious.

Rocket scowled from his upside down position, who did this kid think he was, asking what kind of creature Rocket was? "I'm me and there ain't nothin' like me!" The raccoon spat, flailing his arms around.

Groot extended a finger and poked Rocket's belly, earning a stifled laugh and a glare. Another poke, this time to the arm, earned a laugh with even less control. Groot's smile grew quite large and he continued to poke the squirming little furry creature.

Rocket was trying his hardest to stop the laughs that were bubbling out of his throat and escaping his mouth. Groot Seemingly knew all his most sensitive spots and took great pleasure I'm seeing him squirm and laugh. He was a child after all.

Just as rocket let out a particularly bark-like laugh he felt something that made him stiffen completely and cut the laugh short. Groot had poked his sensitive back, very close to one of his metal implants. The area had never really healed properly and even if it didn't physically hurt to touch the surrounding skin any more, there was a deep emotional injury there that hadn't even started to close up. "Hey," Rocket barked, batting away an incoming branch. "You gotta stop that. Besides I'm getting light headed from bein' upside down."

Groot frowned and, with great care, turned his new friend around and set his paws on the metal floor of the car. Rocket's sudden change in attitude had not gone unnoticed by the young tree.

"I'm not some stuffed animal kid, you better remember that." Rocket grumbled, straightening out his shirt and turning away. He was starting to feel like his old, cranky self again, the misplaced poke had brought him back to the past he wished he could forget.

A hesitant tap on his shoulder brought the bounty hunter out of his brooding.

"I am Groot . . ." Groot said solemnly.

Rocket looked at those big brown eyes and the confusion and fear that they held and he just couldn't be upset. "Nah, I'm not angry at ya, ya oversized branch." He said with a dismissive paw gesture.

Rocket walked over to his 'sink', a leaking pipe he had detoured to enter into his home, and splashed some water on his face. What had he gotten himself into?

He heard movement behind him and turned to see Groot stepping out of the door, credit cube in his outstretched hand.

"I am Groot." He said quietly, placing the credit cube on the ground at rockets feet.

Rocket was silent, staring at the dejected tree child he was at a loss for words. How was he supposed to respond to _I'm sorry I caused you trouble, thanks for saving me._

"Uh . . ." Rocket said eloquently as he watched Groot slip out the door and slowly walk away through the dark.

Something snapped inside of the raccoon and he found himself worrying what would happen to the poor innocent thing in a city as brutal as the one they were in. His paws responded to his thoughts and soon he was racing out from his home and his claws were scratching the stone of the tunnel ground.

"Hey Groot! Wait up!" Rocket yelled after the retreating tree.

Groot turned his head and stopped walking.

"Why'd you go and leave for ya dolt!" Rocket said, panting from the short run. "I wasn't gonna kick ya out or start shootin at ya or anything."

Groot looked at the dirty ground beneath his root-like feet. "I am Groot?"

Rocket sighed. Did he really want to do this? Could he even deal with living with another organism? One look at the doe eyes of his new found pal wiped all his concerns away. "Course you can stay" he said, cuffing the sapling on the wooden arm.

A smile bent the bark of Groot's face and he tackled the raccoon in a hug, mindful to stay away from his sensitive back. Groot only had to see something once to learn; he would remember to be careful with Rocket's back.

Rocket stood there with his arms stiff. He couldn't recall ever being hugged before. He was used to getting the cold shoulder everywhere he went. Who wanted to hug a smelly overgrown rat like him? Apparently this tree child did.

Groot wasn't bothered by Rocket's stiffness; he just kept on hugging the first real friend he had ever had. Rocket had taken the time to save him and Groot was pretty sure he would always be thankful for that.

"I am Groot."

Rocket pulled away and started walking back to his house, motioning for Groot to follow. "Don't mention it. You and me, buddy, I got a feelin' that we're gonna be good pals."

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**Well how'd ya like it?**

**if you have any groot and rocket story ideas you would like to see written I love writing these characters so just let me know!**


	2. Another way they could have met

**well I decided to do an ALTERNATE way that Rocket and Groot could have met. I may just make this a one shot series with different ways the two could have become friends. Tell me if you have any ideas! **

**also I wrote and published thins on my iPod so tell me if you find any mistakes. **

**This time Groot finds Rocket. :) **

**enjoy! **

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Groot never had much trouble protecting himself, his skin was hard enough to keep out most elements and his size was formidable enough for most people to leave him alone. He didn't need to protect himself, so he decided when he saw someone who couldn't protect themselves he would try his best to lend them a hand, or a root.

He didn't think he would ever find a creature in his long life span that needed his help as much as Rocket Raccoon.

The sentient tree's day had started out fairly normal, Groot had walked around a market on the planet he was currently staying on and looked for interesting things. He had played with a few children and may or may not have stolen a wallet or two, but all in all nothing much had happened.

He had been walking back to the alley he had been sleeping in (he didn't really need many accomadations being a tree and all) when he had heard a harsh shout come from his left.

He turned his head in apprehension only to find a small furry creature playing tug of war with a much larger, much more dangerous looking brute and cursing his little head off. Between them seemed to be a quantum charger controller and it looked to Groot as though the furry thing was loosing its grip on it.

"Hey let go of it! That's mine, you bastard!" Yelled the animal.

The big guy's friend approached and smirked, "heh, maybe you should give the controller back to it, if it bites you might get rabies!" He started laughing and his slower friend caught on and joined in.

"I'm tired of this," he said after a moment of laughing, "just give us the part and we won't have ta kill ya."

"I'd like to see you try!" The creature spit back.

The man snarled and punched him hard in the face, sending him straight into the edge of a building where he hit the wall and fell to the ground with a thud.

"Maybe we should show him what happens when somebody don't give us what we ask for," said the second thug, pulling a nasty looking rifle from his back and pointing it at the little guy, who had just gotten up and was snarling at the men while holding a hand to his bleeding face.

Groot had had enough and before a shot could be fired he was already standing in front of the injured creature and glaring angrily at the two attackers.

"What do ya think your doing?" Asked the larger, gun-wielding thug.

He didn't say anything, no need to confuse them with what they wouldn't understand. Instead he just crossed his arms and stayed put.

To Groot's surprise the next one to speak up wasn't one of the thugs. "Yeah what's the deal big guy? I don't need no help!"

Groot looked down at the fur ball, raising an eyebrow.

"And we don't need anyone gettin in our way, tree man." Said the smaller thug, taking a step forward.

Groot matched the step and glared down at the man.

"Well why don't we just teach em both a lesson," suggested the gun thug, lifting the barrel of the gun so it was aimed at Groot's head. Without hesitation he fired.

The bullet hit one of Groot's head ridges and splintered a bit of wood but it was nothing more than a nuscience to Groot. He simply rolled his head back and set his angry gaze upon the man who had fired the gun.

The two thugs looked at eachother in fear and then looked back to Groot, even the furry creature at his feet looked impressed.

"I'm gonna riddle you with holes, tree man" said the gun thug, though Groot could tell that he has said it more out of fear then anger.

With a yell the brute open fired and Groot was hit repeatedly with bullets. Groot raised his arms to block some of the shots and grumbled angrily.

That was it. No more playing around. Groot let out a primal roar and with one outstretched arm smacked both of the men to the ground, picked them up by their legs, bashed then into eachother a fair amount of times and chucked them far off over the low roofs of the small town.

He let out a huff. Good riddance.

After pulling back his arm and rolling his shoulders a bit Groot turned down to the poor creature he had been protecting and smiled.

The creature looked a little nervous but was obviously trying to cover it up.

"Nice job nimrod, you threw them with my controller. Now I'm gonna hafta steal another one!" He scolded.

Groot rolled his eyes, kneeling before the small thing and reaching out to examine his bleeding face.

The animal flinched away, smacking at Groot's hand. "I'ts fine. I've had worse."

"I am Groot." Groot told him, actually meaning what he said.

"Yeah? Names Rocket."

Groot looked behind Rocket, observing a pile of parts that looked half assembled into some sort of blaster.

Rocket followed his gaze. "I was trying to make a gun before you threw my part halfway across the galaxy, now this is all just worthless scrap. How am I gonna keep assholes like those guys away from me now?"

"I am Groot." Groot said, standing to his full height and looking around. He had suggested that he could help Rocket find the part, or that he could just protect Rocket and simplify everything, but he didn't expect his new friend to understand any of that.

Rocket was looking at him quizzically, a wicked grin revealing his pointy teeth. "Huh, maybe I won't need a blaster . . ."

The little animal quickly latched onto his leg and scrambled up so he was standing on his shoulder. Groot turned his head to look at him.

"How would you feel about forming a little partnership buddy? You and me. I could use a guy like you in my line of work."

Groot smiled, he didn't care that said line of work was criminal, he had finally found someone who needed protecting and more importantly someone who could use a friend.

From that moment on Groot always allowed Rocket to believe that it had been his idea that the two of them stuck together. But the truth of the matter was that Groot would have followed Rocket whether he had asked him to it not. He hadn't known any of Rocket's past at the time but he didn't need to to see that the little animal was in need of some help. Even if the small mammal could take care of himself it didn't mean he had to. He would never have to be alone again.

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**So how was this one?**

**tell me if you have any ideas for how they met! **


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